2011 Celebrity Guests

Annika Sorenstam

Annika is the greatest female golfer of our generation and often regarded as the best of all-time. During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won numerous awards and changed the way women's golf was played, viewed, and covered.

Annika amassed 89 worldwide professional victories, including 72 LPGA wins, ten of which are Major Championships. She has a record eight Rolex Player of the Year awards and holds the record for the lowest scoring average in a season (68.6969 in 2004). She has a record six Vare Trophies for the year's lowest scoring average. She is the only female to break 60 in an official event, which garnered her the nickname, "Ms. 59."

Annika was the first and only female to cross the $20 million mark for LPGA career earnings and her total of over $22 million is nearly $6 million more than the next closest competitor. Annika was the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year from 2003-2005, and the Golf Writers Association of America Female Athlete of the Year in 1995, 1997, and from 2000-2005. An eight-time ESPY award winner, Annika was also named an honorary member of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness in late 2009.

In 2007, Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation as a way to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, while offering aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. The foundation has an award winning AJGA tournament each year for 72 of the top female juniors from around the world and has partnered with the Florida Hospital and the First Tee to create the Nine Healthy Habits, a healthy lifestyle curriculum which will be rolled out into The First Tee's 4,000 schools by 2012.

Annika stepped away from professional golf in 2008 to focus on her family, her foundation and the growing ANNIKA brand of businesses, including the ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Financial Group, ANNIKA Course Design, the ANNIKA Collection of apparel with Cutter & Buck, signature high-end wines with Wente Vineyards and an online retail shop, www.shopannika.com

In 2008, Annika joined Arnold Palmer as only the second ever Ambassador of the United States Golf Association, and in 2009, along with Jack Nicklaus, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation and aided in the successful bid for golf in the 2016 Olympic Games. This year Annika will serve as vice-captain for The 2011 European Solheim Cup Team at Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland, Sept. 23-25.

Annika is married to Mike McGee, the son of former PGA TOUR and CHAMPIONS TOUR golfer Jerry McGee. Mike has served as Managing Director for the ANNIKA brand of businesses since Dec. 2006. Annika and Mike welcomed their daughter, Ava Madelyn McGee, on September 1, 2009, and their son William Nicholas McGee on March 21, 2011.

To learn more about Annika and the ANNIKA Foundation, visit www.annikafoundation.org

Brad Faxon

Brad Faxon, a 28-year veteran of the PGA TOUR and now a Champions Tour star, will fill in for Ken Griffey Jr. at the 2011 Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic.

An eight-time winner on the PGA TOUR and two time Ryder Cup team selection, Faxon has amassed over 17 million in career earnings.

In August 2011, Faxon “graduated” to the Champions Tour with his debut at the 3M Championship, and already boasts one Top 25 finish (T16 at Boeing Classic).

In addition to being known as one of the best putters on the tour, Faxon is also known as one of the most philanthropic, having raised millions for children’s charities through a non-profit organization he co-founded with PGA TOUR Pro Billy Andrade.

Faxon was born in Oceanport, NJ and raised in Rhode Island.

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